Frenectomy

Correcting Gaps and Tongue-Tie With Dr. Hilmi

A frenum is a thin muscle attachment in the mouth that extends from the lips to the gums (labial frenum) and from the lower aspect of the tongue to the floor of the mouth (lingual frenum). You can feel your upper labial frenum by placing your tongue in the space between your upper lip and front teeth.

About Frenectomy Surgery

A frenectomy can be performed under local anesthesia, oral sedation with local anesthesia, nitrous oxide gas anesthesia with local anesthesia, intravenous conscious sedation, or intravenous general anesthesia (asleep). 

The frenum is released with a small incision. Removal of the small underlying muscle may be required. The incision is closed with dissolvable sutures which fall out in approximately five to seven days.

Our office will schedule a one-week follow-up examination after surgery.

Reasons to Consider a Frenectomy

There a several situations where a frenum may create problems and frenectomy (frenum removal) should be considered.

After Orthodontic Treatment

Sometimes after orthodontic treatment, a maxillary labial frenum may contribute to relapse, forcing teeth apart after they have been orthodontically corrected. Removal of the maxillary frenum by our oral surgeon will help to reduce the risk for relapse after your braces have been removed.

Correcting Large Spaces

In cases where there is a large space, referred to as a diastema, between the maxillary central incisors (upper front teeth), removing the frenum before the maxillary canines (eye teeth) erupt may help promote closing of the space prior to orthodontic therapy. As the canines erupt, they exert forward pressure on the incisors pushing the incisors together and closing spaces. A large frenum may prevent the central incisors from moving together.

Large Labial Frenum

A large maxillary labial frenum can destabilize a maxillary denture. When a denture patient’s lips move, a large frenum can cause the denture to become unstable in function, resulting in a poor fit and function. A maxillary labial frenectomy can help to improve the fit and function of a maxillary denture.

Short Lingual Frenum

When the lingual frenum is too short, it will restrict normal tongue mobility causing ankyloglossia. Ankyloglossia, also known as tongue-tie, is a congenital oral anomaly that may decrease mobility of the tongue tip and is caused by an unusually short, thick lingual frenulum, a membrane connecting the underside of the tongue to the floor of the mouth. The treatment for ankyloglossia is a simple surgical procedure referred to as a lingual frenectomy.

Schedule a frenectomy surgery at Mid-Hudson Oral and Maxillofacial Practice, PC

Contact Dr. Hilmi at Mid-Hudson Oral and Maxillofacial Practice in Kingston to schedule an appointment.